Traditionally, the predominant use of carpets has been in homes, offices and other private or semi-private areas. The carpets used in these areas are often luxurious carpets with high piles. Therefore, a deep cleaning process is necessary to remove dirt from this type of carpet. However, due to the light traffic these carpets normally receive, deep cleaning is needed only every few months.
Advancements in materials in recent years has led to the development of rugged low pile carpets which are suitable for use in heavily trafficed areas. These carpets are now frequently found in airports, hotels and other commercial and industrial areas. Due to the construction of these carpets and the high degree of traffic these carpets receive an entirely different method of cleaning and maintaining these carpets is necessary.
Because of the heavy traffic received by commercial low pile carpets, there is considerable build up of dirt and stains daily. Therefore, these carpets need a method of cleaning which can be used daily. However, there is a desire not to inconvenience the public by closing off large areas at a time for cleaning. Therefore, there is a need for a carpet cleaning machine that emphasizes "maintenance" and which can be used to economically clean low to medium pile carpets on a daily basis and which is fast and efficient so that commercial areas need not be closed for prolonged periods during cleaning.